Latest News

The Old Town Winchester Farmers Market will open two days a week this summer. In addition to the popular Saturday Farmers Market at the Taylor Pavilion, the market will also be open Thursdays from 11 am-2 pm in front of the 1840 courthouse on the Loudoun Street Mall during the months of June, July and August.

Vendors Needed

The Farmers Market is currently seeking vendors for the new Thursday market. Some of the same vendors from the Saturday market will also participate in the Thursday market, however, more vendors are needed.

On April 23, the City’s vendor, Pearson’s Appraisal Service, will begin the 2019 General Real Estate Reassessment process which includes inspecting and reviewing properties within city limits. Pearson’s Appraisal Service staff will be traveling in clearly marked vehicles and have identification.

Any property owner that has information to share with Pearson’s regarding the assessment of their property or would like to have an interior inspection should contact the City’s Real Estate Administrator at (540) 667-2048.

For this year’s Arbor Day celebration event, the City of Winchester will be doing things differently. On Saturday, April 21 from 9 am-noon at Whittier Park, the City is inviting local residents to help spruce up an area of Town Run by planting seedlings and collecting litter and debris.

The City of Winchester is committed to preserving the Abrams Creek Wetlands Preserve in its natural form and Winchester Parks and Recreation (WPRD) staff maintain the Preserve according to the City’s Preservation Management Plan. Wetlands are natural areas that need to be maintained so that the rare plants which live in the marsh are not destroyed by trees that can overrun and shade out the marsh creating a swamp. In order to retain the marsh and the rare plants which call the area home, it is necessary to have an active management program.

The Winchester Police Department will host an active shooter preparedness presentation, titled Active Shooter: How Do I Respond, at Shenandoah University on April 25, 2018 from 7:00-9:00 p.m. The presentation will be held in the Stimpson Auditorium of Halpin-Harrison Hall, located at 600 Millwood Avenue in Winchester.

The Winchester-Frederick County Convention and Visitors Bureau (WFCCVB) has launched their new Tourism Ambassador program and is now accepting applications. This program was created to educate and engage local employees, businesses and attractions so that they can answer questions about the area and stay involved in the area’s healthy and growing tourism industry. This complimentary program will cover tourism information, a highlight of local and regional tourism assets, and front-line strategies on how to engage tourists and answer the question: "what is there to do around here?"

The Economic Development Authority (EDA) is hosting a public input session on Monday, April 16 from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm to solicit public feedback on potential boundary amendments to the Winchester Enterprise Zone. The input session will be held in the Rouss City Hall Council Chambers located at 15 N. Cameron Street. City staff will be taking recommendations for possible property additions to the program and will be considering which properties to delete from the program.

The City of Winchester has experienced an increase in concerns from the community over individuals panhandling in the city. Panhandling isn’t illegal; however, the City encourages residents and businesses to not give money directly to panhandlers.

Beginning Monday, March 26, and continuing through October (weather permitting), the City’s Utilities Division will be testing and flushing all of Winchester’s 1,200 fire hydrants as part of an annual maintenance program. The process of periodically “flushing” fire hydrants is an important preventive maintenance activity and is necessary to maintain a high quality and reliable water system. It is also helps make sure the fire hydrants are fully operational in the event of a fire.